The 2027 Kia Sportage medium SUV has been caught undergoing testing in South Korea, hot on the heels of the official reveal of its platform partner, the Hyundai Tucson. Footage of the new Sportage spied by the ShortsCar YouTube channel shows a pre-production prototype undergoing validation testing, with the final design locked in, but heavy padding obscuring the details.

The upcoming Sportage looks set to adopt the Opposites United design language used across Kia’s latest models, and seen on the smaller Seltos and similarly sized EV5. The new-generation model takes on a much more solid stance, with a bluff front-end, taller bonnet and more sharply angled edges replacing the outgoing model’s softer sculpting.

Camouflaged prototype SUV covered with a dark protective wrap in a parking garage.
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Cues like the visor-style glasshouse with masked-out A-pillars and floating roof create a more unified look across Kia’s range, with the same detailing found on the new EV3, EV4, EV5, EV9 and Seltos, as well as overseas models like the Telluride.

While hidden on the prototype, expect vertical running light signatures framing the grille and low-mounted headlights in a separate split design. A version of the full-width light bar and geometric taillights from the Seltos and EV5 is anticipated at the rear.

Timing for the new-generation Sportage line-up coincides with Hyundai’s release of an all-new Tucson, with the development of the two models linked since the second-generation Sportage launched in 2004.

The next Tucson is set to grow in size, with a slightly longer and wider footprint than the model it replaces, and the Sportage is likely to adopt the same approach. TheKoreanCarBlog reports that the wheelbase has grown from 2755mm on the current model to around 2790mm on the new version.

Other changes include 20-inch wheels, up from 19-inchers on flagship versions of the current model. The new Sportage also adopts Hyundai-Kia’s new Pleos Connect infotainment system, which moves away from the side-by-side dual-screen layout of current Kias and pairs a slim driver’s display with a more prominent infotainment touchscreen.

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Powertrain details will vary by market, with plug-in and closed-loop hybrids expected for emissions-sensitive markets like Europe and a range of traditional internal combustion options for North America. Aussie Sportages may follow the Seltos in a switch to hybrid-only power, after petrol engines were dropped from the range earlier this year, leaving only hybrid and diesel engine options. 

The Sportage’s model cycle usually trails the Tucson’s by around six to nine months, so Kia is still some way off an official reveal, but could be preparing to unveil the new model before the end of 2027.